Warning signs flash at DHHS

Governors traditionally pick out a department of state government, generally one to which they assign a low priority, as a dumping ground for political allies and campaign workers. Pat McCrory's choice appears to be the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

That's unfortunate. DHHS provides such services as health care and Medicaid to more than a million North Carolinians. These are people on the edge of want, people for whom loss of services creates genuine hardship.

When she was appointed as DHHS secretary, Dr. Aldona Wos had no experience either in public health or in running a large organization. She did, however, know how to raise money for Republican politicians, notably George W. Bush and Pat McCrory.

Her track record reflects that background. Some of the lowlights:

? One of her first moves was to put in charge of early childhood education programs a woman who founded a nonprofit that opposes public early childhood education. At least Donna Lightfoot had the sense to resign.

? Two 24-year-old McCrory campaign workers were given salaries so high, more than $80,000, that the effect is to demoralize better qualified workers working for far less money.

? Joe Hauck, an executive in a firm headed by Wos' husband, has been paid $228,000 as a "senior adviser," supposedly to provide expertise on assembling a management team. We must wonder how much of that advice is political.

? A lobbyist who made an election-night video for McCrory has been appointed as "brand and marketing manager," which sounds as if he is a publicity man. The question is for whom he will be generating publicity, DHHS or the Republican Party.

? The state health director resigned abruptly in July. Dr. Laura Gerald said in her resignation letter, "I have significant differences and disagreements with many of the policy and administrative directions that I see unfolding in North Carolina and the Department of Health and Human Services."

? The department's top dentist, a 35-year state employee, was fired early this month. The ostensible reason was differences over how to implement budget cuts, but Dr. Rebecca King believes another factor was her lack of cooperation in identifying hygienists who took vacation time to lobby legislators against budget cuts.

The politicization is bad enough. Even worse is the way DHHS appears to be falling down on its duties. Computer foul-ups have been delaying Medicaid payments and food-stamp distribution. Some people who should have been getting food stamps have had to be referred to food banks.

The Legislative Black Caucus wants answers. "We need to sit down and have some candid conversations," said Sen. Floyd McKissick, D-Durham.

"For the past several weeks, I have grown increasingly concerned by reports of significant irregularities in hiring and vetting processes and salary structure," Nesbitt wrote.

DHHS says it is working on the problems. That's nice, but what the clients of the agency's services need are results, not promises.

The No. 1 problem appears to be the secretary. "Wos views the world through an ideological and political lens," Thomas Mills wrote for Politics NC. "She sees the press as the enemy and she values people who share her beliefs more than people with experience and qualifications."

She claimed the decision not to expand Medicaid eligibility in North Carolina came from Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, a Democrat, when it in fact came from Republicans in the General Assembly.

We hope Wos can get the house in order in a reasonable amount of time. But it appears the clock is ticking.

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Warning signs flash at DHHS

Governors traditionally pick out a department of state government, generally one to which they assign a low priority, as a dumping ground for political allies and campaign workers. Pat McCrory's